Waking Poem by Roger Hudson

You wake

Machine noise

Throbbing
Throbbing
Throbbing

What?
Where?

Outside
In the street
A shout

Up a bit!

No, down!

That's it.

The ssss of water spraying
Or is it rain?

Ssssss
Ssss
Ssssss

Ignore it
Go back to sleep
No good

Ssssing
Throbbing

Still there
What time is it?
Five to seven
Oh no! Not on a Sunday!

More shouting

Incomprehensible

Two voices

Have a look
High in the air

On a cherrypicker crane
A man in a white waterproof overall
Is spraying dust and dirt
Off the walls of the pub across the road
With a pressurised water hose

In the pouring rain!